Foot-measuring device



May 22, 1928. 1,670,664

. P. JONES FOOT MEASURING DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1927 liwezw/iol" .lfetul fazles wwjw Patentedll/lay 22, 19 2s.

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PAUL JONES, or WHITMAN, rassaennsntr'rs, assrenon 'ro- COMMONWEALTH-SHOE AND BEATH ER' COMPANY WZilTliLIk ll, MASSAGE-1U snirrseaeonroae rron 01? MASSACHUSETTS; I I

FOOT-MEASURING DEVICE.

Application file d, September 15, 1927. Serial No. 219,617. r

This invention relates to a device "for of measuring feet in order to expedite the fitting of footwear in shoe'stores and the like. I

the foot. It has thusbeenjnecessaryflfor the shoe 'salesmanto depend upon the measure r of the overall length selecting"shoes'to be tried upon the foot. However, the lasts upon which shoes are formedare generally classified :by sizes not primarily. in'accordance with their overall 'leiigths',"'but rather" in accordance with the distances between the extremities of the heel'portions and the por- 1 tions corresponding to, the ball'j'ointof the foot For example, in ,a single-size of shoe: the overall length. varies considerably with shoes of various widthsa'nd'with various styles of lasts. Thus :la'sts or'shoes" of the same size may mensions between the heel and ball joint portions. Accordingly, the overall length of the foot shown by the ordinary measuring devices serves only roughly to indicate the proper size of shoe. r

The device disclosed herein is designed to obviate these difliculties and immediately to provide an accurate indication of the actual,

size of shoe which will fit a persons foot. Thus the fitting of shoes is expedited, the time of salesmen and purchasers is conserved, while ofttimes a more satisfactory fit is obtained. To this end, the present invention comprises a device provided with a part to.

fit against the back of the heel or the heel cord, and a part to engage and be substantially centered in relation to theball joint of the foot. Furthermore, the device is provided with a suitable scale which permits the direct reading of the size of the shoe'which corresponds to the dimensions of the foot thus measured. It is possible for a salesman with a device of this character quickly and accurately to determine the size of shoe which will fit a customer, and it then. only remains necessary to determine the particular width of shoe which will conform to the customers foot.

The above and further objects and advantageous features of this invention will be dash lines;

.and Fig. 3 is anenlarged-seetionalf-detail"on -semblega portion of the surface of-a sphere; and may be ofia suitable *size approXi'matel y 2 have various overall;;lengths to fit and 'be'centeredun relati on to the ballw and widths, but'generally have the's'amedij apparent to those skilled in the art uponqa I readlng, of thejs'ubjoined description -and 5 drawings, in which claim in'c-on unction with *theaecompanyin-g Fig. 1 is a sideelevational view of the iii: improved measurmg device asapplied toi a human foot, whichisshown irr ,dot and- Figf 2 is a top plan view line 3'3 of Fig.1.;

The l improved measuring' device';which 1 isexamplified by the accompanying draw-.

ings, -comp'rises a measuring stick l with 'arecessed portion, the latter preferably being" formed by the cupped member 2 secured too'ZQ- the end ofstick 1. This'mmber-may bemadefrom asheet metal disk shaped to re-* hint or'bit toe joint of a'hum'amf'ootf' Slidably'mounteduponjthe stie1v1 -iS agmovable heel=engaging member-*-=*8; This 1 slide perferably has an upstanding portion' 4 with a vertical surface 5 adapted to engage the back of the heel. Member 4: is provided with side plates 6 which have inturned lower marginal portions 7 adapted slidably to engage the longitudinal grooves 8 inthe side of stick 1 so that the surface 5 remains substaijztially at right angles to the plane of the stic One of the plates 6 is cut away to receive suitable frictional retaining means 10 for I the slide 3. I This means comprises the sheet metal member 11 having inwardly extending ears 12 which pivotally engage the body portion of member 3, as designated by numeral 13. The upper end of the member "11 is urged outwardly by the coil spring 14: which engages the plate 6-at theopposit'e' side of the device, while the lower end of member 11 frictionally engages the side of stick 1 to hold the member 3 in the desired adjusted position. A stop 15 projects upwardly from. the upper surface of stick 1 in order tolimit the outward movement of member l topreve'nt accidental removal of the latter from stick 1. A suitable opening 16 may be provided adjoining this stop to permit convenient A of the device; r

hanging of the device upon a hook or the like. The upper surface of stick 1 is provided with a series of graduations, designated in general by the numeral 20, and disposed in the region which the heel slide will normally occupy when the device is being used. The divisions of this scale are provided with suitable numerals to indicate the shoe sizes corresponding to the various relative positions of the surface 5 of the slide and the cup. I y

In the use of a device of this character, the foot is placed upon the upper surface of member 1 and the ball or big toe joint of the foot is centered in relation to cup 2, as

indicated by the dot and dash line showing of Fig. 1', the shape of this cup being particularly advantageous in permitting this operation to be performed with satisfactory accuracy by a person having a moderateamount of experience in using this measurmg device. The member 3 is then moved to a posltlon wherein the surface 5 engages the back of theheel or the heel cord. It is evident that the member 8 may be slid by releasing the member 11 from frictional engagement with the stick 1, this action being effected by applyingpressure to the upper portion vof member 11 and compressing spring 14'. After slide 3 has thus been properlylocated in relation to the heel, the foot I isremoved from the device and the position of surface 5 upon scale 20 provides an accurate indication of the size of shoe which will fit the foot that has just been measured. It

then remains only necessary to determine the width of the shoe in the desired style by trial aided by the experienced judgement of the shoe salesman or in any desired manner. It is furthermore obvious that thisdevice may be used in conjunction with or in combination with other means for determining the width of shoe which'will fit the foot that is being measured.

I claim? T Y A foot'measuring device comprising an elongate stick, a sheet-metal cup with its inner surface having a curvature substantially corresponding to that of a sphere, said cup being secured adjoining the upper surface of, the stick near one end thereof, said stick having a width adjoining thecup less than the width of the cup, an upright slide movably mounted upon the stick, manually operable means for selectively releasing the slidefrom a normally locked position upon the stick, a surface of the slide being substantially vertical to the plane of the stick to engage theheel of a foot, the upper and lower surfaces of said stick being substantially flat and the lowest point within the cup being substantially on a level with the upper surface of the stick so that a foot thereon may be substantially horizontal, and, a scale of foot sizes upon I L the upper face of the stick. I v

Signed by me at Whitman, Massachusetts. this 12th day of September, 1927.

PAUL JONES, 

